Though I saw it all aroundNever thought I could be affectedThought that we'd be the last to goIt is so strange the way things turn

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Linkee-poo, they turned our power down, but we went right on with the show

Chuck Wendig, standing with Irene Gallo. It's not a good day when people need to take sides, but then instead of a general note of, "Ms Gallo was speaking for herself, and not for Tor Books" and letting it stay there, someone went farther. I understand where Mr. Doherty is coming from in a corporate sense. I haven't looked at Ms Gallo's Facebook page, so I don't know how far a distance she's placed between herself and Tor there (note my own disclaimer to the right)… okay, I've rectified that. As a part of her profile information she identifies Tor as her employer, and many of her posts are work related (covers, photos of meetings, etc). So there could be some confusion (I don't see her page as Tor Endorsed or as a Tor Endorsement, but then I'm pretty savvy and have a working brain, most days). BUT, Mr. Doherty went beyond what was needed from a corporate standard: "Tor’s views or mine", a small defense of the Rabid/Sad Puppies slate and activity, "Let me reiterate: the views expressed by Ms. Gallo are not those of Tor as an organization and are not my own views." With that, IMHO, Mr. Doherty stepped over the line needed (from a corporate stand point, the line needed drawing, but that need was much less than what he put in the letter - "Ms Gallo does not speak as a representative of Tor on her personal Facebook page. Her views expressed there are not those of Tor. We have clarified with our employees the policies of Tor regarding personal blogs and social media usage." QED). That he added statements basically saying Ms Gallo was a naughty, naughty girl for her post lead me to agree with Chuck. Also, there have been other matters that should have been addressed, but on which Mr. Doherty, as the lead of Tor, has been silent. And those, sir, are more damning and damaging of the Tor brand than Ms Gallo's comment. For the record, Ms Gallo's friend list is full, but (while I normally don't do this) I was happy to add her to my feed on Facebook as a sign of support. If you've read this blog long enough, you know I have the utmost respect for her Art Directorship.

Meet the Duggars. "This is what purity culture does. More than anything else, it silences victims."

A man, a cello, and a mission. From a personal story of just having missed being killed, and having friends being killed by car bombs in Iraq, the conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, Karim Wasfi, is on a mission to reclaim bombed sites in Iraq. This, friends, is what non-violence bravery and dedication looks like. You go, maestro.

Oh sweet Mother of God we're still in the same fucking place when it comes to police brutality as we were a year ago. The black teen thrown to the ground "was no saint." Just don't go there, Megyn Kelly, just don't. If that officer wasn't wearing a uniform this would be a clear case of battery and intimidation. At the very worst this incident was a "public disturbance" (and there is good reason to believe the kids weren't the ones to start it), there is no fucking reasonable excuse for this officer's actions. Except that he's a crappy officer who thinks his uniform means he can cowboy around (pulling his side arm on this kids? fuck him, he escalated the situation by his actions).

About Me

I am a writer of Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction. Here you can find some of my thoughts about writing, politics, society, dreams, and anything that comes into my head. Sometimes I drop a Story Bone or two. And then there is the tweeting.

The opinions expressed on this blog are my own and should not be considered the opinions of my employers or clients.

Da Rules

Anything put in a post with the title "Story Bone" is up for grabs. If it sets off a story bomb in your head, go for it. I don't claim any right except to maybe write my own story based on the bone. I haven't researched the bones to make sure I'm not trodding on somebody else's toes so use at your own risk. Think of these as free ideas.

Freed Scribblings

The Company of Ravens - First Chapter This is the story that nearly killed me and forced me to start writing down these things in my head. It's still a draft. After innumeral edits this is still at the point I realized I needed more skills to tell the story, and also the point where I realized I could do this.

The Dead Are Busy Released from the trunk in celebration of the first International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, April 23, 2007.

Storming Heaven This was the first short story I wrote that I felt was ready for publication. Released from the trunk in celebration of the second International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, April 23, 2008.